Sacks Family Foundation establishes Luminary fellowships for public broadcast journalism
Grants will support students at Annenberg, Carter, and Medill pursuing Podcast Journalism in Public Broadcasting
Chicago, IL, October 17, 2019 - The Sacks Family Foundation announced the establishment of a Luminary Fellowship for podcast journalism in public broadcasting at three U.S. universities — The University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, The Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University, and Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.
“Supporting students pursuing this vital vocation has never been more important,” said Michael J. Sacks, Chairman of the Sacks Family Foundation. “We are honored to support these world-class institutions and their students who are passionate about podcasting and public broadcasting.”
The fellowships will sponsor students pursuing careers in podcast journalism in public broadcasting, providing funds for tuition or stipends. Public broadcast internships are typically unpaid, which can contribute to a historic lack of diversity among news and editorial staff. With paid fellowships, the foundation seeks to increase resources for public broadcasting and boost diversity in public broadcast journalism as the universities are encouraged to seek students of color for the fellowships.
Each university will partner with local public radio stations or broadcast production studios where the Luminary Fellows can augment their classroom work with paid professional experience researching, writing, and producing podcast journalism.
“Our students are eager to produce compelling and impactful journalism whether by broadcast or podcast,” said Willow Bay, dean of USC Annenberg. “With the foundation’s support, we have an extraordinary opportunity for our students to partner with local news organizations as they build their skills and contribute meaningful stories to our communities.”
"We are delighted by this vote of confidence in NYU's preparation of the next generation of audio journalists. This partnership will benefit all involved, and help to strengthen the role of journalism in new media," said NYU Arthur Carter Journalism Institute Director Ted Conover.
“Every day, we’re surrounded by a multitude of stories waiting to be told, and this generous fellowship will make it possible for Medill students to further their skills in telling these diverse stories in ways that are meaningful to listeners,” said Medill Dean Charles Whitaker. “We look forward to our continued partnerships with public broadcasters in our area and we’re deeply grateful to the Sacks Family Foundation for helping to deepen that.”
The grants to the three universities will total $315,000 and sustain the program for three years, after which the Universities and the Foundation will review program efficacy. While the fellowships are being funded solely by the Sacks Family Foundation, they are named for Luminary Media, a podcast content and technology company where Sacks serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Media contacts:
Sarah Rothman, The Lede Company
Becky Carroll, C-Strategies